You know who I feel bad for in this series? Favashi.
This poor Archangel is the youngest one in the cadre. She then gets kicked out of Persia when Alexander awakens, only to go to China and end up getting a horrible disease which almost kills her. Gets rescued by Cassandra from said disease, only to awaken again during the cascade to fight evil Lijuan. Says she’ll take over North Africa from Titus, then passes out and Cassandra takes her back underground to sleep.
Like this poor character did nothing wrong besides exist in this series. And here she is getting kicked while she’s down at every turn.
And I can now confidently say Darren is the worst. I thought momma lynch was bad but Darren is so much worse.
In Shannon’s book I could somewhat sympathize with what was happening and all that. But what he did to Joey and how he treated both Joey and Aoife is truly heinous.
This man left for six years and then came in to do what?? Make everybody miserable and make everything worse? He treated Aoife like a speck of dirt and tried to pay her off!
I hope he stays in whatever town he yeeted himself to and never comes back. He doesn’t deserve any more screen time if you ask me.
Summary: Part 1 of omegaverse nessian; Nesta is an omega in heat when Cassian (alpha) is delivering the queens' letter in Wings and Embers. If you know, you know. This is likely to get smutty... for obvious reasons.
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Delivering a letter shouldn't have been so hard, Cassian thought. Not for an Illyrian warrior who had centuries on the young woman who lived in the estate he currently circled.
He wondered what the humans might have thought about his behavior if they could see him past the glamour and wind. What did they see? A squawking pigeon or a tortured crow? A vulture circling the house like a ill-fated omen?
Cassian couldn't yell out that he wasn't here to devour dead human flesh, but he wasn't even sure that was true. Even now he could feel an ache in his jaw. He was ready to bear teeth, bite and feast... human flesh and well... An Archeron sister appeared in his mind and the thought of her pale neck. The way her chin raised so high, her nose held up in such a way that he could see exactly where his lips could press.
This Archeron hated him, though.
And he wasn't so fond of her either. He would give the letter to the queens to her simply because it was his task... not because fae feasted on flesh and he yearned to learn exactly how Nesta Archeron tasted when he licked--how sweet she'd be when he bit. Would she blush as pretty as the rosebuds not yet blooming, a fresh spring after snow and ice?
No, he thought, shaking his head. He was here to deliver a letter and to leave. So what if he agreed too quickly? So what if he circled the estate nine times already?
Was he scared?
Cassian didn't know. Rationally he knew that he should never underestimate humans. Humans were unpredictable, even if he was likely to best them in combat, and there was no human more unpredictable than that blasted woman who sneered in distaste, dismissing him so thoroughly he almost wondered if he was young again... there was no one better than Nesta Archeron at reminding him how dirty his boots were and how many callouses ran across his palms. He'd sully her with a single touch. Not that he was even allowed to touch her.
She'd hate him.
But she already hated him, so Cassian took a deep breath and held it as he made his way down to the front door. That was their plan afterall. He'd knock and she'd open it. She'd tell her maid it must have been the wind and he'd slip inside and try not to breathe in her scent.
Lavender and books so thoroughly loved, he'd get dizzy and Cassian knew he would hope somehow that it would get caught on his clothes so he'd scent her all the way back to Velaris. That he would give anything, even an ash arrow or two, to bottle it like perfume.
But Cassian straightened, shaking his head as he rid himself of such foolish thoughts. He wasn't a boy, and Cassian had a job to do, so he knocked as instructed.
Nesta Archeron opened the door, just as planned.
When Cassian had first laid eyes on her, he thought she was an alpha. No one that fierce could be anything but. She had radiated dominance. Her gaze was the color of knives and her tongue was just as sharp. Now, he could see that her eyes were actually a pale blue.
Skies and wind and the freedom of fresh air. Not as intense as metal but just as piercing. Already he could feel a tightness in his chest as if she'd stabbed him.
But her lips were a soft budding pink and he knew he'd suffer for just a sip from her. A taste of milk and honey.
"Who is it?" a woman called from somewhere beyond her.
But Nesta gripped the door handle, slightly shifting as to let him glide past. She shut the door with a thud.
"No one, Ms. Cartwright. It was just the wind."
Cassian stood as still as a statue as he spotted the housekeeper trudging forward with a furrowed brow. Nesta merely continued to the stairs without a glance to the woman.
"Are you sure, you don't want me to stay?" she admonished, the furrow deepening as she wrung her hands. "I know it's quite a private ordeal, but I'd hate to leave you when you're... like this. You don't have a mother to see you through and your sister plans to be away I hear."
Nesta's hand clenched along the banister and she barely spared a glance at the concerned housekeeper. Cassian didn't know if he should be thankful that her icy demeanor was not solely reserved for him or indignant that it was not his alone to keep.
Her spine stayed ramrod straight and her knuckles resembled the color of bone.
"I only need privacy," Nesta answered without even looking at the poor woman, but something about her answer made Cassian pause. His gaze had never left her form, but he surveyed her now with a warrior's assessment. What was wrong? What could he do?
"Just as originally planned, you may come back in five days time."
The housekeeper only nodded lightly, but Nesta spared her no glance as she made her way up the stairs.
Cassian followed, but he held his breath along the way, clenching his fists. Dizzying scent and his calloused hands that wanted to reach for her--he needed to finish delivering this letter and then stay far away from Nesta Archeron.
